What are compound words in Spanish
How to create compound words in Spanish
Compound nouns in Spanish are special kinds of words. As their name indicates they are composed of two parts. The first one is the third person of a verb we are using; the second one a noun, in the majority of cases, in a plural form. How does it work in practice? Let’s analyse the word "el cortaúñas", which means nail clipper. "Corta" is a third person of the singular of the verb cortar (to cut), and ”uñas" simply means nails. The general rule is as simple as that, however you should be careful while using the plural. Why? Because compound words in plural save the same structure as in singular. This is why we will say "un cortaúñas" and "unos cortaúñas/dos cortaúñas". Never "cortauñases".
Compound words in Spanish refer to different categories of vocabulary. Amongst them you will find some professions, some names of the everyday products, even some pejorative descriptions. In the tables below I have gathered the most common Spanish compound words, however bear in mind that the list is not exhaustive.
List of the Spanish compound nouns
Let’s start with professions and their representatives. Some of the compound words which describe them are neutral, but there are also some pejorative ones:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El chupatintas | Pen pusher, pencil pusher (US) |
El matasanos | Quack doctor |
El picapleitos | Bad, inefficient lawyer |
El pintamonas | 1.Dauber 2. A nobody |
El limpiachimeneas | Chimney cleaner |
El limpiabotas | Shoe shiner |
El guardaespaldas | Bodyguard |
El limpiacristales | 1.Window cleaner 2. Window-cleaning product |
El guardabosques | Forest wander, forest ranger |
El aparcacoches | Parking lot attendant |
El cazatalentos | Headhunter, talent-spotter |
El rompecorazones | Heartbreaker |
El comefuegos | Fire-eater |
There is a group of compound words that are related to the character traits or a behavior. In their vast majority they have a pejorative sense:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El cantamañanas | 1. Unreliable, untrustworthy person 2. Bluffer |
El vendehúmos | Bluffer, mountebank |
El sabelotodo | Know-it-all |
El asaltacunas | Cradle-snatcher |
El asaltabancos | Bank robber |
El/La comecocos | Person who brainwashes other people in order to obtain what he/she wants |
El lameculos | Arse-licker, ass-licker |
El bocachancla | Blabbermouth |
El abrazafarolas | 1. Arse-licker/ass-licker 2. drinker |
El cierrabares | Person who spends the majority of his/her life drunk in bars and pubs |
El pagafantas | Person, usually a boy, who is buying drinks (or whatever a girl wants) hoping that she will fall in love with him. Normally she doesn’t |
El sujetavelas | Third wheel |
El meapilas | Holier-than-thou, goody-goody two shoes |
El pelagatos | a nobody |
El zampabollos | Glutton |
El cagaprisas | Person who wants to do something as soon as possible, even when it’s not necessary and he/she “contaminates” others with his/her nervousness |
El soplagaitas | An idiot, twit |
El tocapelotas | A pain in the ass/pain in the neck, who moreover, enjoys bothering other people |
El comeflores | Colloquially speaking a person who wants to be accepted by everyone and avoid conflicts at all cost |
Spanish people use compound words to talk about everyday items:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El sacapuntas | Pencil sharpener |
El portaminas | Propelling pencil / mechanical pencil |
El sujetapapeles | Paper clip |
El pisapapeles | Paperweight |
El portafolios | Briefcase |
El sacacorchos | Corkscrew |
El escurreplatos | Plate rack |
El cuentagotas | Pipette dropper |
El pasapurés | Manual food mill |
El cortaúñas | Nail clipper |
El abrelatas | Tin opener / Can opener |
El cascanueces | Nut cracker |
El pintalabios | Lipstick |
El quitamanchas | Stain-remover |
El posavasos | Coaster |
El tirachinas | Catapult / slingshot |
El reposabrazos | Armrest |
El elevalunas | Electric window |
El quitamiedos | Traffic barrier |
El cortaplumas | Penknife |
El lanzamisiles | Missile launcher |
El matamoscas | Fly swatter |
El atrapamoscas | Flypaper |
El cubrebocas | Surgeon mask |
El rompeolas | Breakwater |
El mondadientes / el escarbadientes | Toothpick |
El atrapapesadillas | Dreamcatcher |
El matasuegras | Party blower |
Some of the compound Spanish words to do with the I.T world:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El portapapeles | Clipboard |
El cortafuegos | Firewall |
There is also a short list of compound Spanish words related to architecture, cars and weather:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El rascacielos | Skyscraper |
El paracaídas | Parachute |
El portaequipajes | Roof rack |
El parabrisas | Windscreen / windshield |
El limpiaparabrisas | Windscreen wiper / windshield wiper |
El paraguas | Umbrella |
There is also an insect:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El saltamontes | Grasshopper |
And finally words which don’t belong to any specific category:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
El cumpleaños | Birthday |
El trabalenguas | Tongue-twister |
El rompecabezas | Jigsaw puzzle |
El engañabobos | 1. Hoax 2. Deceiver |
It’s important to know that Spanish compound words sometimes can act as adjectives and accompany some nouns, changing their meaning:
Word | Meaning |
---|---|
La lluvia mojabobos | Drizzle, light rain which doesn’t stop all day |
La cuerda salvavidas | Lifeline |
El bote salvavidas | Lifeboat |
El chaleco salvavidas | Life vest / Life jacket |
Spanish compound words – exceptions and special cases
Amongst “los sustantivos compuestos" there are also some “black sheeps”, so to say, words which are created in a similar way to the compound words, they are not exactly the same though.
Some good examples are: "el girasol" (sunflower), "el parasol" (sunshade), el cubrecolchón (mattress pad) or "el guardameta" (goal keeper). In theory these words are composed by the third person of singular and a noun. The noun however is in singular, not in plural. What is more, the plural form is accepted, this is why we can say el girasol (sunflower), but also los girasoles (sunflowers).
On the other hand, in the Spanish language you will also find words like "el pararrayos" (lightning conductor, lightning rod), el taparrabos (loincloth), where you’ll see an infinitive (parar – to stop) and a noun in plural form (rayos - lightnings).
In the English language there are some compound words as well. Good example will be pancake, toothbrush or fireworks. They are very different from the Spanish ones where the rules of creating them are quite strict, however it shows that, although very often languages seem to be so distant, in reality in each and every language you can find several interesting similitudes.